Is the New York Go City Pass Worth It? An Honest Verdict and How to Get the Most Out of It
Is it worth it?
- Worth itYes if you'll pack 3-4 big paid sights into each pass day, like an observation deck, the Statue of Liberty ferry and the 9/11 Museum.
- Skip itNo at a relaxed pace. New York CityPASS gives 5 big sights over 9 days for less.
- Skip itNo if SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is your deck. No city pass includes it.
- From $169
- 100+ attractions
- Unlimited per day
What is The New York Go City Pass?
The New York Go City Pass (sold as The New York Pass®) is Go City's All-Inclusive Pass: pick a number of days and visit as many of its included attractions as you like on those days, each one once.
In New York that means several observation decks, the Statue of Liberty ferry, the 9/11 Museum and MoMA, with Manhattan's big sights spread from the Battery to Midtown.
The seller advertises savings of up to 50% compared with buying each ticket separately. Realistic only on 2-3 packed days; most first-timers do better with CityPASS.
- Attractions
- 100+
- Price
- From $169
- Visits
- Unlimited per day
- SUMMIT
- Not included
How to get the most value out of The New York Go City Pass
Big New York sights cost $30-50 each, so about four a day is what makes a day pass pay.
| Don't | Do this instead |
|---|---|
| Do two observation decks on the same day | The views are similar. Spread them out, and pick one at sunset. |
| Start downtown in the afternoon | The Statue of Liberty ferry and 9/11 Museum are both downtown. Do them on one morning. |
| Turn up without reservations | Most decks and the ferry need a booked time. Reserve them as soon as your dates are set. |
| Start the day in Midtown | Take the first Statue of Liberty ferry from the Battery, then walk to the 9/11 Museum and One World Observatory before heading uptown. |
| Do an observation deck at noon | Midday light is flat and queues are long. Save your deck for sunset or late evening. |
| Head to the Empire State Building without checking how busy it is | Check the Empire State Building's live crowd level on beatthecrowd.co first. If it's busy, do another New York sight on your pass and come back later. |
Before you set off for the Empire State Building, check how busy it is right now on beatthecrowd.co. An hour in a queue is an hour of your pass gone.
Check live crowds in New York →Who The New York Go City Pass is for
Good fit
- First-time visitors on a 2-4 day trip
- You'll do 3-4 paid sights a day
- You want several observation decks
Skip it if
- You'll do one or two sights a day: CityPASS or the Explorer is cheaper
- SUMMIT is your must-see deck
- Mostly free sights: Central Park, the High Line, Brooklyn Bridge
- From $169
- 100+ attractions
- Unlimited per day
What the pass covers
The pass includes 100+ attractions, each entered once. These are the big ones.
- Several observation decks are on it, but no pass includes SUMMIT One Vanderbilt.
- Many of New York's best sights are free: Central Park, the High Line, Brooklyn Bridge, the Staten Island Ferry.
The big sights
- Empire State BuildingBook a slot
- EdgeBook a slot
- Top of the RockBook a slot
- One World ObservatoryBook a slot
- Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island ferryBook a slot
- 9/11 Memorial & MuseumIncluded
- MoMAIncluded
- SUMMIT One VanderbiltNot includedNo city pass includes it.
Also on the pass
- Big Bus 2-day hop-on hop-off tour
- From $169
- 100+ attractions
- Unlimited per day
Pass vs individual tickets
Add up the gate prices of the sights you'll really visit on your pass days. Big New York sights cost $30-50 each, so about 4 a day covers most pass lengths.
Worked example: one packed day
| Attraction | Adult ticket bought separately |
|---|---|
| Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island ferry | About $25.50-26 |
| 9/11 Museum | About $33-36 |
| Edge | From about $49 |
| MoMA | $30 |
| Total separately | About $138-141 |
| New York Go City Pass | From $169 |
- From $169
- 100+ attractions
- Unlimited per day
Fine print
- Activation
- Starts at your first attraction.
- Reservations
- Observation decks and the ferry need a booked time.
- Entry
- Scan your pass in the Go City app.
- Refunds
- Full refund within 90 days of purchase if not activated.
Is it safe? Where people lose money
- Reassuring: The New York Go City Pass is Go City's, sold through GetYourGuide.
- Reassuring: Refunds: Full refund within 90 days of purchase if not activated.
- Watch out: SUMMIT One Vanderbilt isn't on any New York pass.
- Watch out: Decks and the ferry need reservations.
Where people lose money
| Don't | Do this instead |
|---|---|
| Do two decks in one trip | Empire State, Top of the Rock and Edge have similar views. One is enough; spend the day on other sights. |
| Buy a 5-day pass for a week | Few people do four paid sights a day for five days. Match the pass to your busiest days. |
| Queue at the Empire State Building at peak time | Check beatthecrowd.co for the Empire State Building's quiet hours before you go. |
Queuing is the easiest way to lose value in New York. Check which sights are quiet right now on beatthecrowd.co, starting with the Empire State Building.
Check live crowds in New York →- From $169
- 100+ attractions
- Unlimited per day
Alternatives
Planning your order and avoiding queues is the simplest way to get full value: see how busy New York’s attractions are right now →
- From $169
- 100+ attractions
- Unlimited per day
FAQs
Is the New York Go City Pass worth it?
+
Only if you'll fit about four big paid sights into each pass day. At a slower pace, CityPASS or the Explorer Pass is cheaper.
Does the New York Go City Pass include the Empire State Building?
+
Yes, with a reservation.
Does any New York pass include SUMMIT?
+
No. Buy SUMMIT tickets directly.
Can I get a refund?
+
Yes, within 90 days of purchase if you haven't started using it.